THE RESIDUALS OF GROWING UP in poverty remain today in my life. I am careful with my money. I don’t spend much beyond paying bills and for necessities. I seldom buy anything new for myself. Dining out, which I rarely do, always leaves me feeling guilty, thinking about how many groceries I could have bought with that money (although not that many anymore).
This is a thinking pattern ingrained in me by a mother who was a child of the Great Depression. I suspect she picked up on thriftiness from her mother. My mom stretched and budgeted and managed to raise six children on a Minnesota farm with income generated from crops and dairy cows and with food from the land. We wore mostly hand-me-downs and clothing stitched from feed sacks. There were no birthday gifts from our parents, no family meals out, no a whole lot of everything. But we had love. Lots of it.
I share this because it explains why I am the way I am. Content with what I have. And appreciative of second-hand. I don’t need new. Currently, recycling, upcycling, repurposing, keeping stuff out of landfills is trendy. I’ve never been labeled as trendy. But apparently I am now.
That brings me to a number of events this weekend in my area which fit my budget and environmentally-friendly way of living: book sales, plant sales and flea market/garage sales.
First up, books. I love to read, always have. Mom read Little Golden Book storybooks to me. And she let me select a book from school book orders. That’s how important reading was to her. Without a library in my hometown, this gave me access to books.
Today I live blocks from a public library and bring home stacks of books. I’ve also carried bags of books home from used book sales. This weekend Faribault’s American Association of University Women hosts its annual used book sale, its final one after 54 years. Hours are 10 am-7 pm Friday and Saturday and from noon – 5 pm Sunday.
In neighboring Waterville, Friends of the Library are hosting a used book sale from 8 am – 4 pm Saturday in Langerud’s Garage, 503 Marian Street. There’s no set charge for books, just a freewill offering. Oh, and they’re also selling puzzles, sure to be popular with puzzle enthusiasts.
And for those who love garage sales, like me, Waterville is also hosting city-wide garage sales on Saturday. There are garage sales, too, at Christ Lutheran Church in Faribault (Friday and Saturday) and at Nerstrand United Methodist Church (Saturday). Just check the classifieds in your local paper and you’re sure to find garage sales in your community.
One other fun event is the Spring Flea Market from 8 am – 2 pm Saturday at the Rice County Historical Society in Faribault. I always enjoy poking through the merchandise and talking with people I haven’t seen in awhile.
Finally, gardeners looking for plants and free advice can get both at two separate plant sales on Saturday in Faribault. GROWS Garden Club is selling plants from 8 am – noon on the southeast corneer of Central Park. And from 9 am – 2 pm, Rice County Master Gardeners are selling plants in the 4-H building at the Rice County Fairgrounds.
Two more things: Friday evening is Car Cruise Night from 6 pm – 9 pm along Central Avenue in historic downtown Faribault. It’s free as is entrance to the Straight River Art Festival from 9 am – 6 pm Saturday at Heritage Park in Faribault. The event features art, music and food.
And then two more things: Historic Trondhjem Church, rural Lonsdale, is hosting a Syttende Mai Celebration beginning at 1 pm Sunday. The event features music and stories by Steven K. Anderson of the Brainerd Lakes area, Norwegian songs sing-a-long and a reception with Norwegian goodies afterwards. Over in Owatonna at the Village of Yesteryear and Steele County History Center, the Sons of Norway will also celebrate Syttende Mail from 1 pm – 4pm with music, crafts, a medallion hunt and more.
So much to do…at no or minimal cost. My mom and grandma would have appreciated all of these budget-conscious opportunities. Just as I do.
© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Thank you very much for mentioning about the Flea Market at the Rice County Historical Society Museum. As of last count, there will be 65+ vendors supplying the public with anything from A – Z come down everyone and enjoy the fun.
Thank you for doing such a great job on your articles that you write for the people to read. Hopefully I’ll see you sometime tomorrow.
Brian
You are welcome, Brian. Sixty-five vendors is an impressive number. Thank you for all you do for the Rice County Historical Society.
A wonderful compendium of spring things.
But you wrote, “check the classifieds in your local paper…”
Does anyone still have a local paper and does it still have classifieds?
When I wrote “classifieds,” I wondered if I would get a response like yours. I like to think that people still subscribe to local papers and read the classifieds. I’m biased since my work is published in the local paper and I have a journalism degree and have worked as a newspaper reporter. Local newspapers need our support as they are a vital part of our communities. End of soapbox.
How wonderful that there are so many opportunities for free/inexpensive pastimes and events. Makes all the difference. Because I was a single mom going to school and working . We don’t have much money for a long stretch of time. I used to makes casseroles with whatever leftovers we had and name them. Like, ‘cowboy roundup casserole .’ Chopped up hot dogs,baked beans, leftover hash browns, ketchup, mustard – eat.) free books, vacation in a nearby hotel for one night, girls shared clothes or special outfits on layaway, but they know they were loved and they all became kind and hardworking women. Ps I collect golden books – I just love them
Beth, thank you for sharing about the financial hardships you faced and how you thrived and taught your girls the most important thing, that they were loved. Little Golden Books are a fine thing to collect.
The older I get, I cringe with the thought of the waste of money I spent in my youth.
But at least now you are older and wiser. 🙂
The first two paragraphs of your post remind me of the economic experiences of my British wife growing up in postwar Britain. Britain was BROKE after two world wars, and rationing of many items went on through the early 1950s. As a result, she is by experience frugal and thrifty.
Charles Ziegler
Certainly understandable why your wife would be thrifty and frugal.
This is when I miss southern MN a lot, cities sales just aren’t the same. Be a fun couple weeks to make the rounds. I’m still using Mom’s poster bed from 1933 and lots of repurposed wood furniture with it’s warm glow. Having a hard time giving back in the clothes, leave that to the daughters. About shoes: depressing. Never met “glass” or ceramic didn’t give a warm glow. Books are always interesting! In hoa’s, sales aren’t allowed, well they were in the 80s. Enjoy!
It sounds like you value “old” also, as I expected you would. It’s been a busy day thus far, including a picnic along the river to take a break from everything. My eyes need it. So I really should exit my computer.
I love your list of budget and community friendly options. It’s fun to attend these types of events. Having also grown up in extreme poverty, I tend to ‘spend’ as you do, very carefully and often second-hand. We do spend a bit on seeing the world once or twice a year, but those are saved for meticulously before we go, often coinciding with work-trips. We do as many sightseeing, low budget options as possible, and sometimes those far outweigh the ‘spendy’ items. Like our state park visits, one yearly $35 pass and a tank of gas lets us see over 60 different, interesting locations in Minnesota.
We certainly share similar thoughts when it comes to money, etc. Yes, the state park pass is a good deal. We can even check out free state park passes at our library for a week.